If not, what I meant to say (but couldn't due to dA's Journal title limits ) was that I am in need of some artists here on deviantART what are versed in either the art of creating comprehensive reference sheets (like this one by ~Skysealer), or in the creation of scientifically plausible but otherwise utterly fantastic extraterrestrial lifeforms (like the ones cooked up by the marvelous Wayne Barlowe (guided by the writings of many a sci-fi author, of course)).

I only ask of these things because I've started to get a little disheartened due to a few of my commissions falling through for whatever reasons. I still have a few that are pending, and hopefully I can feature them soon. I'll update my old journal then, and hopefully get a group going to collect them all. The group, you see, will be for my aforementioned superhero comic project, currently titled Earth Defense Force C.R.A.C.K.P.O.T., though the title of the comic series itself might be subject to change.

Though I love and cherish the commissions that I've already gotten and appreciate the artists that I've paid to draw them (I might even wish to commission them again in future), I'm still on the lookout for an artist that could assist me in making my vision come to fruition. As much as I love drawing these heroes on my own, I'm not always so keen on how they should look, as evidence with my first couple of comics, where the facial structure and clothing detail seem to change from panel to panel, much to my chagrin.

It's already bad enough trying to draw up #DeviantUniverse profiles for these characters, though those are only introductory explanations and thus don't take quite as much plotting, but it's still hard to figure out at least the initial appearance for my character and their basic biography. Having both the visual appearance and character traits on the same sheet for easy reference would be very convenient, if not for me, then for other artists who I wish to draw these characters.

Then there's the issue of not having the mindset of making a believable alien race. Though I know as a comic-book world that the laws of science work rather differently than the laws of our world, it still would be nice to keep some form of scientific validity instead of pulling something out of a magic hat; that would be way too easy, even if "magic" in a sense exists in my superhero world (specifically, as a form of energy or energies practically incomprehensible to humans, hence why it's called magic). 

 

Too often I've been told (mostly by my inner critic) that many of my alien ideas are either too impossible (like the idea of variable-buoyancy, nigh-invulnerable balloon-people), or badly thought-out (like a balloon-person/human hybrid). For once, I want someone of greater intelligence than me to say "Yes, this could work, but only if..." or "That might not work, but this might.". Constructive critique of my alien species and worlds is what I wish for, as well as discussions on how to form them.

No, I don't wish to make an entire extended universe and a bunch of trading cards; I just want to be able to make at least semi-believable super-aliens and worlds, just for the sake of not being like your usual comic book heroes and saying "It works that way because I said so!". I could probably use some help in being able to let loose and be okay with making things so for the sake of whatever, since I have a problem of sweating the small stuff until I drown in all that sweat. 

For those who make reference sheet commissions, hopefully those well under $100 (like $30-$50 if that's realistic, which I doubt it is), inquire within. For those who specialize in making scientifically believable but utterly fantastic creatures, discuss things with me either through comments here or notes. In the meantime, here are a few of the deviations which illustrate some of the characteristics of my superheroes, at least in the artist's descriptions (which can get exceedingly long sometimes).